Apparatus for handling sheets



July 11, 1950 E. A. wlLcKENs Y APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed llay 4, 1945 July 1l, 1950 E. A. wlLcKENs APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEETS O G 0. U

iwi@

/ Si' R Filed May 4, 1945 43 41 Eb Wikia-ens,

` July 11, 1950 E. A. wlLcKENs APPARATUS Foa HANDLING SHEETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 4, 1945 July ll, 1950 E. A. wlLcKl-:Ns 2,514,819

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEETS Filed Hay 4, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 11,1950

Erbe' A. wuekens, Baltimore,

Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Md., a corporation of New York Md., assignor to Baltimore,

Application May 4, 194s, serial No. 591,975

The present invention relates apparatus for handling sheets and, more particularly, for hanl' dling' sheets during the perfomance of registered operations thereon.

Bottle caps of the crown type ordinarily have c claims; (ci. 11s-11s) an apparatus of handling. a 'sheet during the fora beverage identifying design or 'label lithographed thereon. Such caps .are produced by lithographing a metal sheetwith several hundred of the cap designs-arranged in rows and then .passing the sheet through a cap forming pressF which punches out the designs and forms them' into skirted caps. Naturally, it is necessary that the designs becentered upon the caps and this requires registration on the cap forming press identical with that which was had on the lithovgraphing press.

Under prior practice, registration of the lithoi graphed designs with the dies of the cap forming press depended primarily upon having each sheet an exact rectangle of'true dimensions. In order to meet these requirements, it was necessary to trim all four edges of the sheet, which resulted in a waste of metal. Furthermore, if the trimming to square the sheet failed in any respect, at least a number of the caps would be imperfect.

A further diiilculty arose from the fact that after a sheet was initially registered in the cap forming press, it could shift its position while it was advanced beneath the dies. 4

An\object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for handling sheets during operations performed by two apparatus and v whereby the sheets will be held to the same registration on both apparatus.

Another object of the invention isto provide an apparatus for so handling sheets which are not.

true rectangles, not straight-edged, and not of exact dimension in one direction, that such sheets will be properly registered during two operations thereon,

It is well-known that roll shears, i. e.. shears which trim the edges of a moving strip, are highly accurate in forming properly spaced parallel side edges on a strip of metal. By prior cap forming processes the two parallel edges formed Aon a sheet by Vsuch shears were later trimmed oi during an operation intended to make the sheet an exact rectangle. As a result of this practice, the 'twoparallel edges provided by the roll shears,

mation of articles therefrom and whereby a minimum area of'material will be wasted.

Another object of the invention is to provide' sheets with guide means which will lold them against shifting during performance of an `operation on the sheet. Still another object of the invention is to prol videV a cap forming apparatus which is of such construction that sheets will be held against shifting during movement therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to increase the rate of production of'cap forming presses.

The invention is described herein as applied to the formation of bottle caps from metal sheets. However, it will be perceived from the following description that Y the invention is applicable to the production of numerous types of articles from sheets of various materials, and particularly when it is necessary to register or align the sheet with one or more means to perform an operation thereon.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from Athe following specilication and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view diagrammatically illustrating the principal stages followed in the prior system of handling metal sheets during the production of bottle caps.

Figure 2 is a view diagrammatically mostrating the principal stages followed in the system of the'present invention for handling metal sheets during the manufacture of articles therefrom.

Figure 3 diagrammatically shows` the relation of a prior lithographed sheet of cap blanks to the cap punching dies.

Figure 4 diagrammatically shows the relation of alithographed sheet to the cap dies by the procedure of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the feed table of a lithograph press, the view illustrating the lowermost or impression cylinder and the sheet gripping device associated with that cylinder, the

and also a strip of ;metal extending entirely around the sheet, were wasted. Furthermore, the square-trimming performed after roll shearing necessitated a separate operation upon thesheet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus whereby use is made of .I the two parallel edgesformed by the usual rollshear and the spacing of these edges is` relied upon during handling of the sheet.

.il4 further object of the invention is to provide upper cylinders being omitted.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the feed table of a cap forming press lconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the dies being omitted.

Figure 7 is a vertical section view of the cap forming press of Figure 6, the section being taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6. Figure 7 is on a smaller scale than Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a .transverse sectional view on the line 8--8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing a portion o f a sheet provided with the guiding element'oi' the present invention.

Figure 10 is a sectional view on line Ill-I0 of Figure 9, and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view of a sheet provided with a guiding element of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, this figure diagrammatically illustrates the principal stages of the procedure heretofore used in forming the metal sheets, lithographing them and forming bottle caps therefrom. In stage A of Figure 1, the reference character St designates a strip of metal which is moving to the right from a large roll, not shown. In some instances, this strip may have already received a background color or iinish. The strip St includes side edges E' which are the original edges of the strip and are uneven. By the operation of stage A, the strip was trimmed by roll shears, not shown, to provide the parallel and properly spaced edges E".

In stage B of Figure 1, flying shears, not shown, cut the strip St cross-wise at longitudinally spaced points to form sheets S including the long edges E2 formed by the fly shears. Because of the inaccuracies arising in the cutting of a rapidly moving strip by y shears, the edges E2 were not always parallel, properly spaced, or at right angles to the parallel edges E. For that reason, the four-side square trimming indicated in stage C was performed to remove the material shown outside of the solid lines in stage C. This was intended to make the sheet a rectangle and provide it with short edges E3 and long edges E4. About 1%" of material had to be removed from each edge of a sheet S of the dimensions shown in stage B, resulting in a total loss and waste of about eighteen square inches of material, or over three per cent of the total sheet S of stage B. In addition, it wasted the perfectly parallel side edges E" provided by the roll shears in stage A. The squared sheet is designated S in stage C.

Stage D of Figure l indicates how the rectangul lar sheet S was registered in a lithograph press by the prior practice. As is diagrammatically indicated in stage D, the sheet S was initially placed upon and moved across the feed table of the press in the direction of the central arrow by conveyor chains, not shown. Its trailing edge E4 was then engaged by spring-loaded pushing elements P acting onthe trailing edge at the points indicated by the arrows. However, immediately after the pushers P engaged the sheet, side gauging elements RG and SG moved in toward its side edges E3. Gauge RG assumed a rigid position, but the gauge SG was spring-loaded when adjacent the sheet and urged the sheet against RG while the sheet was moved to the right in stage D by the pushers P and toward the gripper stops .GS carried on the impression roll of the press. The pur-` pose of this combined action by the pushers P and spring-loaded side gauge SG was to place the leading edge E4 firmly against all of the gripper stops GS and also properly position the sheet axially of the 4press roll, viz., against rigid side gauge RG. The grippers associated with the gripper stops GS then closed to grip the sheet and pull it through the press rolls to be lithographed on its top face. The side gauges RG and SG moved out of contact with the sheets immediately after the sheet was gripped.

It will be observed that by the above action,

l the leading edge of the sheet, i. e., one of the long edges E4 formed during the square-trimming of stage C was registered at the two points R1 designated by V-marks. The other point of registration, i. e., by the rigid side gauge RG, is indicated by the V-mark R.2 on one short edge E3. the grippers engaged the sheet and it was also engaged by the impression roll and blanket roll Afterk of the press, it could not shift. Therefore, the rows of cap designs placed on the sheet S by the lithograph press were in registration with the points Rl and R3.

After the sheet was lithographed, it was moved from the lithograph press through a long drying or baking oven including a conveyor on which the sheets stood onl one long edge E4 and were Kept separated from each other. The sheets moved with the conveyor in the drying oven for a period of about ten minutes and were then individually removed by an attendant who stacked the sheets face upward. The attendant took each sheet from the drying oven in such a manner that they were all oriented in the same manner on the stack. Each sheet would have a mark such as M lithographed thereon (but at a point clear of the cap designs) to indicate which edges of the sheet were registered at the points R1 and R2. If the design to be applied required an additional lithographing step the mark M indicated the direction in which the sheets should be moved during that operation.

When all lithographing and drying or baking was completed, the sheets were then stacked with their lithographed faces downward and the stack of sheets was moved to a cap forming press.

StageE of Figure 1 illustrates the prior handling of a sheet S in the cap forming press, and in which press it was moved in the direction of the central arrow, i. 'e.,` to the right in Figure 1. It will be noted that on'e of its shorter edges E3 thereby became the leading edge-of the sheet.

In the cap forming press operation, the stack of lithographed sheets had the top sheet removed therefrom and positioned in the lower portion of an upwardly inclined feed table such as generally indicated in Figure 6, and with the lithographed side of the sheet S turned down.

As a result, one of the shorter edges E3, comprising the trailing edge, rested against fixed stops designated FS in stage E. Although stage E illustrates in dotted lines the registry points R1 and R1l established on the sheet in the lithographing press, it will bel clear from the following that these points had no significance whatever during registration in the punch press and that the sheet could be swung laterally from the position illustrated.

The cap forming press feed table included two upstanding side walls designated SW which were spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the dimension which `sheet S' was supposed to have between edges E4, plus clearance. The walls SW terminated immediately beyond the lines of punch dies indicated by the dot-dash lines PD in stage E of Figure 1. As a result of the above structure, when a sheet S was placed on the cap forming press feed table, Iits long edges E4 contacted with the side walls SW and its trailing short edge E3 contacted with the fixed stops FS. A conveyor chain then moved the sheet upwardly, or to the right in stage E, until its lowerv edge was engaged by feed dogs which moved it step by step beneaththe punch dies at PD.

The registration was by the side walls SW and the feed dogs. Obviously, if the trimming of stage C which established the spacing between edges E4 was inaccurate, a sheet S' could be so narrow that it would move laterally. The registration of the cap formingdies with the cap designs would thereby be inaccurate. Alternatively, if the sheet was slightly oversized, it

would buckle or even become jammed between -the sido Walls BWL l. Astlllfurtherdimcuty could arise if the side edges E* were not parallel. 1

, and particularly if the trailing portion of the sheet was thereby of less dimension between these side4 edges than was the case with the leading Portion. In such a case.- if the leading portion iltted exactly between the side walls SW so that the designs on that portion of the sheet were properly registered with the cap forming dies, nevertheless, after the leading portion moved past the upper ends or the walls SW, the

trailing portion could shift so that poor registration occurred;

lsummarizing the above-stated disadvantagesof the prior system illustrated in Figure 1, it will be observed that by that system, registration in the cap forming press oi' stage E primarily relied upon having the sheets of exact dimensions and' true rectangularity. This was ra ditl'erent type of registration from that used during the lithographing (stage D) wherein registration actually was solely dependent on having only two edges substantially at a right angle. to each other, with no reliance Vupon the exact 4dimensions of those edgesor the other edges. Also, in order to obtain proper registration during the cap'i'or-mi-ng operation, it was necessary that the trimming be accurate as tol dimension and 4that all edges be square, which wasted metal and required the special operation of stage C. Finally. it was possible for the sheet to shift during the cap forming operation.

Still another disadvantage of the prior system indicated by the dot-and-dash line circles D11'.

Then the sheet advanced to bring design row C* beneath punch row D1. The designs of this row. containing cross-marks in the drawing, were then punched out. while the row D11 of punchesdescended in the paths indicated by the dot-anddash circles D11". It will be lobserved from the circles D11" that on this stroke the punches D11 descended extremely close to theleading edge E3 of sheet S'. Obviously, if the length of sheet S' between its edges Etwas very slightly oversize,

the punches D11 would cut a sliver from the lead- .Y

ing edge E3. Such a sliver would remain in the die andcause the next capv formed by the die to be ruined. Furthermore,- it meant that all of the designs` on` the sheet would/'be slightly out oiI regmlfation; 1. 4 l

`If the sheet was too short, the caps formed from leading` row .C1 would have a portion missis evident'fr'oin Figure 3'. Figure 3 is primarily an enlargement of stage E o Figure 1 but.- in addition, shows the layout of t ev cap designs applied to the sheets' during stage D oi.'v Figure 1 and also the layout' arrangementoi' the cap v forming `lieg PD, Because these designs are on the lowerface, they are shown/in dotted line.

Referring tol-ligure 3, it will be observed that' sheet s' has applied thereto a row C1 of capf designs immediately adjacent the leading narrow edge E3. 'I'he next row CI has its designs staggered with respect to those of row C1 and ing 'from the leading sides of their skirts and all oi' the designs would also be out of registration.

The `feed dogs then moved the sheet forward for a distance corresponding to the distance be- Y `tween the centers of rows C1 and C3 and the third stroke of the punches punched out the designs in rows C1 and C. Succeeding movements of the sheet were oi' a distance corresponding to the space between the centers of rows C1 and C3 so that the third and eighth, and then the fth and tenth rows were punched. With thirty-six rows y to a sheet, the thirty-sixth row had its designs in the designs of the two rows 'are also nesi:ed,"l

in that opposed portions of the cap design perimeters are extremely yclose t`o each other. lfor example,'on a sheet of caps used onlthe usual soft-drink orbeer bottle, which caps have their tops of a diameter of 26 millimeters, or approximately one inch, the design, on the sheet the last, or nineteenth stroke, punch row D11 alignment with those of row D2. On the next to.

would punch the thirty-third design row while punch row D2 came down beyond the sheet, leaving only the thirty-fifth row to be punched.

' For the final punch stroke, the feed dogs -moved S' (including the portion to be formed into a skirt), kwas one-and-a-half inches in diameter.

However, adjacent designs were only about onehalf a millimeter apart. The' designs in row C1 were positioned equally as close to the edge E1 of the sheet and the design in row C1 adjacent edge E4 was less than .1" from that edge. A

' Athird row C? had its designs directly behind those oi' row C1 and nestedwith respect to those of row C1. A fourth row C1 had its designs in alignment with those of lrow C. Rows C5 and C, with designs respectively behind those of rows C1 and C1, are also illustrated.

Obviously, the rows of designs were too close together to. enable closely adjacent rows to be stamped on the same stroke of the punches. For example, punch and die elements could not be positioned as closely together as the designs. This is'clear from the night-hand portion 'of Figurev 3, wherein row D11 of the-punches PD is shown spaced from row D1 a distance corresponding to the-spacing between rows C1 and C1v of the designs on sheet s'. However, both rows the sheet forward a distance corresponding to the distance between rows C1 and C3, and punch row D11 punched the thirty-fifth design row.

summarizing the above, if -the sheet S' was either tolong or too short, diillculties resulted which were of even more practical importance f than the lack of registration discussed above.

Therefore, the square-trimming of stage C (Figure 1) which established the distance betweeen the edges E3 was regarded as extremely critical.

IFigure 2 diagrammatically illustrates the steps followed by the procedure of the present invention. Figures 4 to 11 illustrate these steps in more detail and also illustrate the apparatus. Referring to the rst step of the invention procedure, shown at the left of Figure 2 and designated stage A1, a strip St' movingfrom a r'oll, not shown, of the metal, is trimmed by roll shears to parallel and accurately spaced edges I0 and) i.

The strip is then cut cross-wise by ily shears as indicated in stage B1 to form the sheet designated bythe numeral I2. Sheet I2 includes the longl edges I0 and i I formed by the roll shear and the short 'edges formed by the ily shear and designated i3 and i4, respectively. It will be observed that the edges I and II are the edges formed by the roll shear in stage A1. In some instances, the strip St' may have a background color applied thereto.

'I'he sheets I2 are stacked and then, without any further trimming or squaring such as followed 'at stage C in the Figure 1 prior practice, are successively delivered to the feed table I of a lithograph press generally indicated by the numeral I6 in Figure 5. Stage D1 of Figure 2 also indicates this positioning of the sheet. A1-

.though stage D1 and Figure 5 show the sheet I2 oriented' to have its long edge I0 trailing, the other long edge II could be the trailing edge during this stage.

It will be noted that the sheet I2 illustrated as used in the present invention is larger than that used with the prior system. The reasons for this are hereinafter explained.

Referring to Figure 5 and also to stage D1 of Figure 2, the sheet I2 is moved to the right as shown by the central arrows in both figures by dog chains, not shown, and until its trailing edge I0 is engaged by spring loaded pushers I1 diagramxnatically illustrated in both figures.

While sheet I2 is being moved to the right in Figure 5 and stage D1, a side gauging device such.

thereby urges thesheet against the now rigid roll gauge 20.

Immediately before the gauges and 22 have moved inwardly `as described above, the springsheet by the transfer roll to indicate which edges were registered in the lithograph press. This mark will, of course, be at a point clear of the designs and is shown greatly enlarged.

It will be observed that the register and gauging mechanisms described above in connection with Figure 5 and stage D1 of Figure 2 are substantially identical with those used and followed in the prior system described in connection with stage D of Figure 1.

After the sheets have been lithographed, they move through a drying or baking oven while standing on one edge and in the same manner as has been described above in connection with the prior practice of Figure 1. When drying or baking has been completed, the sheets are piled in a stack, all oriented in the same direction and with their lithographed faces turned up, in accordance with the usual practice. If further lithographing is required, it is carried out as has been described in connection with Figure 5 and stage D1 of Figure 2 and the drying and subsequent stacking repeated. After final lithographing, the sheets are stacked with the lithographed side down.

Stage E1 of Figure 2 and also'Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which the sheets are handled in the cap forming press by the apparatus of the present invention. Figures 6 to 8 illustrate the construction of the cap forming press. Referring to the views mentioned, thev stack' of lithographed sheets is placed on the sheet feeder,

loaded pushers I1 will engage the trailing edge I0 of the sheet to move its leading edge I I into con-lv tact with the gripper stops I8 mounted on impression roll I9 and associated with the usual sheet grippers.

The result of the above action will be that the leading edge II will be moved into contact with all the gripper stops and its side edge I4 will be positioned at a predetermined point axially of the press couple. In other words, the sheet will be registered at the points I8' an 20 indicated by the V-marks on stage D1 of Figure 2. The side gauges 20 and 22 will move away from and out of contact with the sheet immediately after the sheet is gripped by the gripper stops I8. These gauges can be in contact with the sheet for some distance along its edges but the nal gauging takes place at the instant the grippers close. Therefore, the side gauging takes place at a very definite point on the edge of the sheet. If the sheet is out of square, it may have a slight sidewise movement as it advances and until the grippers close. 'I'he instant the grippers close, the side gauges retreat.

The side gauges described above are similanto those disclosed in the application of Eibe A. Wilckens and Ellis M. Magill for "Sheet Feeding and Gauging Mechanisms, Serial No. 471,168, filed January 2, 1943, Patent No. 2,396,- 481, issued March 12, 1946. However, any suitable side gauging mechanism having the action described above may be` used.

After the sheet I2 is gripped by the grippers associated with the gripper stops, it will be drawn through the press couple and lithographed on the face shown uppermost in stage D1 and Figure 5. A register mark such as M' will be applied to the top and lithographed face of each not shown, of the punch press with their lithographed faces down and the registered edges II (marked M) to the left as viewed in stage E1 and- Figures 4 and 6. The top sheet is then delivered to the inclined feed table 25 of the punch press. Because of the mannerin .which the stack is oriented, this will cause the registered edge II to be lowermost or to the left as viewed in all these figures. In 'other words, the new orientation of the sheet shown in stage E1 of Figure 2 may be compared with that in stage D1 by stating that to reach the stage E1 position, the sheet of stage D1 will be turned over, with its edge II serving as the pivot, and so that its lithographed face will be lowermost in stage E1. This changeof position is apparent from a comparison of the position of the mark M' in stage D1 with the mark M' of stage E1.

The lower edge 26 of the feed table 25 is provided with rigid stops 21 with which the register points I8.' will contact. IIn addition, feed table 25 is equipped with side gauging mechanisms including rollers 20a andl22a. .The roller 20a is identical in action with the roller 20 of thelithograph press I6 and the roller 22a is identical with the roller 22 of the lithograph press. After the sheet is dropped on the inclined table 25, its registered edge I I will, by gravity, slide into firm contact with the rigid stops 21. Then theroller 20a will move inwardly and laterally to a rigid posi- I tion and roller 22a will move'in under spring die elements generally illustrated in Figure 'I is mounted at the lower edge of the feed table 25.

- As soon as the spring-loaded side gauge 22a-has urged the sheet I2 to the position illustrated in Figure 6, for example. this punch mechanism will be actuated in timed relation to the operation of the side gauges so asito provide a vguiding means such as element 3| (Figures 9. to 11) in the sheet I2, preferably adjacent' its registered edge II. The guide tab or element 3| is in the form of a strap bent downwardly from the sheet and preferably of V-shaped form as viewed from one press.

side to include legs 32 having opposite side edges 33. 'I'he side edges 33 lie in planes which are normal to a line passing through the register points |8'.' In addition, the planes in which the edges 33 lie are at predetermined and fixed distances, respectively, from the registry point 2o' on the edge I4.

Immediately after the punch 3o has formed the guide element 3|, its punch elements move clear of the sheet. This entire punching action will occur immediately before the side gauges retract or immediately after they have retracted. In any event, a flight 34 on each of the two usual conveyor chains 35 of the cap forming press will xow move into contact ywith the lower edge of the sheet as shown in Figure 6 to move the sheet up the feed table 25. The feed table is provided with a groove l36 in which the guide element 3| will move. The side walls of groove 36 are properly spaced to prevent the guide element 3| from moving or twisting laterallytherein. In

accordance with the usual practice, after chain has movedv the sheet'upwardly a predetermined distance, the lower edge of the sheet will be engaged by feed dogs such as indicated at 33 and these dogs' will move lthe sheet step by step Y beneath the punches 39 and over the cooperating dies in the same manner as followed in prior practice and described above in connection-with Figure 3. Hold-down, members 40 may move downwardly upon the side edges of the sheet as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 and in the usual manner to prevent the sheet from buckling along a line cross-wiseof the feed table as it is pushed upwardly. However, these members will not exert suflcient pressure to cause the sheet to be deviated from the straight line path imparted to it by the engagement of the rside edges 33 of guide element 3| with the side walls of the groove 36.

The side edges I3 and |4 need not be engaged by It wm be perceived from the above that bythe present invention, sheets will be registered in the cap forming press at the same points at which they were registered in the lithographing press.v

Therefore. it is not necessary that the sheet include perfectly straight and parallel side edges f I 3 and I 4. or even that the two registered edges and I4 be exactly at right angles to each other. Slight deviations in both these factors may be present so long as the sheet contains an area having the minimum dimensions necessary to produce the set number of caps for its size, i. e., in the present instance, an area measuring 251%" by 3211s". In short, the only exact characteristics required by the present apparatus and process are that the edges III and which are the leading and trailing edges in the cap forming press, be parallel and exactly the proper distance apart. As has beenstated above, roll shearing such as performed in Stage AI is entirely enicient t'o provide such characteristics. It will be noted-that any guide means after guide element 3| has been f formed.

The guide element 3| which is illustrated is readily formed by a die which makes two straight and parallel cuts and then presses the intermediate portion to a V-shape. It can be formed in between two cap designs of the row of designs nearest the registered edge |I as shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, the lay-out of the cap designs on a sheet is such that the row of' designs nearest an edge or lois spaced a sufiicient distance apart to provide adequate space between two adjacent designs for a tab of adequate width. Furthermore, the designs of the next row parallel to edge II, although partially nested between those of the outer row as deone aspect of the invention is the use of the rollshear-formed edges as the leading and trailing edges in the lithographing and -cap forming stages, thereby making itv feasible to leave the y-shear-formed edges on the sheet to serve as side edges. yAs has been stated above, the use of the same registration system in both the lithographing and cap forming presses requiresl less perfection in these edges. Figure 4 diagrammatically shows the lay-out of designs on the sheet I2 and' the layout of the dies 39. The steps by which the sheet islmoved beneath the punches and over the dies are the same as have been explained. in connection with the prior practice system of Figure 3. In addition, the rows of cap designs are arranged inthe same spacing as on the prior sheet S' of Figure 3,

except that the rows of designs 40, 4|,4 42; 43, etc., extend parallel to the wide edges I0 and of the sheet I2. Obviously, the invention could be used upon sheets having shorter edges |,0 and but. for increased production and operating efficiency, it is desirable to use as large sheets and as many dies as possible. With the present invention, use of larger sheets than have heretofore been used becomes possible, because (1) the roll-shear will uniformly produce parallel edges ||I and II. (2) the system of registration enables such sheets to be accurately registered in both presses, and (3) the guiding element prevents the sheet from twisting or deviating from a'straight'path during cap punching. y y

Also, the fact that the procedureof the present invention enables a sheet tobe moved through the cap forming press in the same manner in it is applicable to numerous types of apparatus wherein operations requiring registration are performed upon sheets oi various materials.

It will also be noted that numerous phases of the invention are applicable in operations wherein no designs are applied to articles.

Subject matter disclosed but not claimed herein may be claimed in my divisional application for Apparatus and Methods for Handling Sheets, Serial Number 162,085, i'lled May 15, 1950.

The terminology used in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, the scope of the invention being indicated in the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus including means for performing an operation upon a sheet. a bed along which the sheet is to be fed to the operation performing means, means at one end of said bed arranged for registering the sheet in a position such that critical points on the sheet subsequently can be brought into exact registry with corresponding critical points of action of the operation performing means solely by a simple motion of translation of the sheet along the bed, means effective while the sheet is in contact with the register means -to form a projection extending from one face of the sheet and which projection includes two parallel spaced apart side' surfaces at substantially right angles to a face of the sheet and parallel to the direction of said simple motion of" translation, said bed including a groove provided with parallel side walls adapted closely to engage said side surfaces of the sheet projection and lying parallel to the direction of said simple motion of translation, and means to move the groove-engaged sheet along said bed in a direction lengthwise of the bed groove from the registry means to the operation performing means.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 wherein the registry means of said bed includes an element provided with a surface lying on a line extending at right angles to the side walls of the bed groove.

3; Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 wherein the registry means `of said bed includes an element provided with a. surface lying on a line extending at right angles to the side walls of the bed groove, and a pair of elements respectively movable toward the side walls of the bed groove.

4. In an apparatus for punching cap devices from predetermined areas of a. sheet, a bed, punch devices at one end of said bed, means at the opposite end of said bed arranged for registering the sheet at4 a position such that the predetermined areas of the sheet can be subsequently brought into exact registry with corresponding devices of said punch devices solely by a simple motion of translation of the sheet along 00 the bed, means effective while the sheet is in contact with the registry means to form a projection extending' from one-face of the sheet and which projection lies intermediate adjacent of said predetermined areas and includes two pai*- allei spaced apart side surfaces at substantially right angles to a face of the sheet and parallel to the direction of said simple motion of translation. siad bed including a groove provided with parallel side walls adapted closely to engage said side surfaces of the sheet projection and lying parallel to the direction of said simple motion of translation, and means to move the grooveengaged sheet along the bed in a direction lengthwise of the bed groove from the registry means to said punch devices. v

5. Apparatus of the character described in `claim 4 wherein the registry means includes an REFRENCES orrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 250,304 Vieillemard Nov. 29, 1881 271,782 Buchanan Feb. 6, 1883 506,837 Allgire Oct. 17, 1893 554,913 Dexter Feb. 18, 1896 614,809 Henkle Nov. 22. 1898 677,821 Tily et al July 2, 1901 994,590 Jackson June 6, 1911 1,037,844 Adriance et al Sept. 10, 1912 1,098,060 Spiller May 26, 1914 1,123,658 Banzett et al Jan. 5, 1915 1,200,758 Pringle Oct. 10, 1916 1,288,316 Walsh Dec. 17, 1918 1,680,032 Henderson Aug. 7, 1928 1,778,493 Griffiths Oct. 14, 1930 1,940,581 Carter Dec. 19, 1933 v2,034,269 Price Mar. 17. 1936 2,119,662 f Williams June 7, 1938 2,150,016 Wood Mar. 7, 1939 2,151,028 Hayward Mar. 21,1939 2,154,597 Barrett Apr. 18, 1939 2,175,338 Booth Oct. 10, 1939 2,243,175 Stewart May 27, 1941 2,254,558 Williams Sept. 2, 1941 2,396,481 Wilckens et al Mar. 12, 1946 2,400,927 Harrold May 28, 1946 2,406,847 Neuhart Sept. 3. 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 788,474 France July 29, 1935 v60,447 Norway Feb. 13, 1939 

